Mosquitoes are responsible for a great deal of human misery, expense, and death throughout the world. They carry diseases that sicken one-eighth of the world""s population and impact the health and economy of 300 million people a year. In Developing Countries, mosquito-borne diseases are the leading cause of death.
Mosquito control is accomplished mainly by spraying pesticides, when economic conditions permit. The most common methods of controlling mosquitoes involve the use of insecticide sprays and poisons. The United States has relied on pesticides and has easy access to the chemicals and the funds to deploy them. The chemicals have been effective and consequently the impact mosquitoes can have on people has been largely absent in this country. However, new threats have come to the U.S. from mosquitoes that are carrying viruses dangerous to humans. Further, for many communities, the cost of spraying is prohibitive. Still further, it is known that mosquitoes are becoming resistant to pesticides and exposed insects that survive and mate and reproduce progeny that again will experience insecticide and inevitably, there will be more survivors. Repetitions of this cycle will produce toxin resistant insects.
Some species of mosquitoes carry viruses harmful to humans and are responsible for millions of deaths around the world. These mosquito borne viruses are entering the United States along with new species of mosquitoes. Several species of mosquito have entered the United States that are aggressive and carry viruses threatening human health. Deaths have occurred in the North East and the South West United States.
In the region of the East Coast of the U.S. during the years 1999 and 2000 mosquitoes have thrived. The level of nuisance has grown but more important the mosquitoes have been transmitting the West Nile virus. The virus has occurred in the cities of New York, Baltimore and Richmond Va. and the number of sites is growing. Health services have announced a request that families and persons check for standing water breeding areas, and eliminate them, in an attempt to deny mosquitoes breeding opportunities. Since the discovery of the West Nile virus in the New York area, and the seven deaths last year, U.S. Center for Disease Control has appointed a special director to coordinate containment efforts. Congress has allocated funding to be used to control the spread and impact of the virus.
Birds bitten by infected mosquitoes can fly long distances after becoming infected and thereafter any mosquito biting an infected bird will become infected. When the newly infected mosquito bites another, animal it is infected. This results in a very effective delivery system and infected birds carrying the virus from New Jersey found as far South as Florida and North Carolina, less than two years after the virus was introduced in New Jersey.
The Federal Government has provided substantially supplemented budgets to local government entities to help them acquire the chemicals in order to be responsive to the mosquito outbreaks that are being experienced across the country. After a recent deluge in Texas, mosquito populations there ballooned, and the community was advised to stay indoors. All available spraying equipment was in use 24 hours a day and Federal Emergency Management resources were activated. Activation of the Texas National Guard for manpower assistance was under consideration and may have occurred.
These mosquitoes are carrying harmful viruses and more aggressive species are entering the country. One new mosquito species in the U.S. is the Asian tiger mosquito, which arrived in a load of old tires shipped from Japan for recapping.
When outbreaks trigger citizen complaints the only option available to local authorities is often the use of Adultacides. These chemicals are only sprayed after announcing to communities to stay indoors while it is being done. The chemicals used to attack the adults are highly toxic. Adultacide use is avoided if possible due to their negative impact on other flora and fauna.
Typically the most common spraying targets are wet areas where mosquitoes breed. Chemicals are used to poison the mosquito larva living in the water. This requires repeated application, continuing expenses and results in undesirable toxic accumulation.
The xe2x80x9cwetlandsxe2x80x9d water treatment programs being developed in the U.S. are concerned with the complaint that the success in creating natural appearing wetland providing water treatment is also creating massive mosquito nurseries. The use of insecticides in the wetlands to control mosquitoes is expensive and runs against the environmental quality philosophy supporting such projects. Substantial effort is being made to reduce the mosquitoes in less toxic ways.
Regardless of pesticide toxicity, the U.S. economy can afford to expend the resources to carry out extensive spraying programs. Developing Nations are usually unable to afford the expense of these programs and consequently they are burdened by the consequences and continuous drain on their health care systems. Many people die each year from Yellow Fever, Malaria, Encephalitis and other vector borne diseases.
The invention discussed herein proposes a method of providing convenient standing water for the use of mosquitoes (and other interrupting mosquito breeding), as well as other low cost methods to abate mosquito populations without the use of insecticides. In another embodiment of the present invention, simple low cost methods are disclosed to abate mosquito populations with minimal expense, without insecticide, and requiring little continued expense to be effective.
The strategic placement of the devices of the present invention may encourage their use by mosquitoes. The invention comprises a method to interrupt the development cycle of newly spawned mosquito eggs and larva. Mosquitoes making use of the convenient location may choose it over the natural areas, which they always seem to find. It is anticipated that experimentation will provide information that will allow implementing ways of increasing the appeal of the facilities appeal to the target insect.
The concept is to program the device to activate often enough to destroy any water dependent biomass deposited or developing in the water. After the eggs are in the still water the apparatus will act on the water to disrupt the developmental stages of insect.
Several ways of providing such a facility are apparent. Other improvements can be discovered and added to create a successful program. The devices should be low cost, no maintenance (if possible), and not create any new insect problems. The standing water could be provided rainfall where feasible and the weather cooperative. Barring this availability of water the device could be placed in the hands of volunteers interested in reducing the mosquito population in their area. A bird-bath that is equipped with the filter assembly similar to FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIGS. 12A-12C could reduce the mosquito population in residential areas. The common bird-bath is a common facility used by mosquitoes for reproduction. Bird baths can take advantage of nearby power to sustain use of lights and a reliable water supply to sustain the breeding facility.
In another embodiment of the present invention, effective methods of diminishing mosquito populations as discussed herein can be applied to create a low cost toxin free method of interfering in the life cycle of these insects as they develop in nonnatural breeding sites made convenient to them for egg laying.
Some mosquitoes are known as container breeders, and they will seek out opportunities to lay eggs in discarded soda cans, bottle caps, dog dishes, rainwater remaining in rain gutters, or any other convenient reservoir of water. The methodology disclosed herein is contrary to most anti mosquito protocols, which are oriented to eliminating or poisoning breeding water available to mosquitoes for reproduction.
By providing a convenient and possibly attractive breeding facility for mosquito use, it is then possible to intervene and disrupt the development cycle of egg, larva, pupa, adult that naturally occurs in the reproductive of mosquitoes. Accordingly, another embodiment of the present invention comprises a method to remove a serious man-made mosquito breeding convenience. Rain gutters that have not properly drained and have stagnant water remaining in them, enable mosquitoes to invade neighborhoods using the gutters as nurseries. By using rain gutters that slowly leak one can retain the effectiveness to carry the bulk rain water away from a buildings foundation, but any water improperly drained will leak through the porous bottom of the channel. A female mosquito must have a blood meal from a host in order to develop eggs. After this meal, the mosquito will seek out a suitable body of water to lay eggs. The water is typically stagnant non-moving water preferably shaded, but the preferences vary between species. The shape and size of the embodiment can be customized to the features that the targeted mosquitoes prefer.
There are two methods to interrupt the mosquito development cycle that can be broadly addressed as Filter and Flush. The Flushing methodology has the added benefit of refreshing the water and thus avoids the issue of female mosquitoes rejecting water that may have pheromones released from dead mosquitoes building up in the water. The Filtering method lifts the filtered Bio-matter out of the water as well.
Removal of mosquito bio-matter can be done using a very wide variety of devices. Only some of them are selected for definition herein. The intelligent control and timing for purging the water in the reservoir can be derived from a person manually carrying out the procedure or it can be controlled automatically by an electronic microcontroller. Heat activated metal movement can successfully raise a filter through the water resulting from solar temperature change of a bi-metal spring supporting the filter after sunrise occurred and heated the metal. In this way, the present inventor has found a device that could be maintenance free and operate for extended periods in areas in undeveloped countries near water reservoirs.
In systems that use motors for motion a small solar panel was used to keep a battery charged. With a requirement for the filtering, pumping or lifting only once every three days the solar panel is easily able to maintain the battery. It is only necessary to spoil the development once during the development of the egg, larva, pupa, and adult cycle to abort the development of the young mosquitoes
The scale of the device can be as small as a bottle cap or it may be an unlimited run of channel placed between a housing community and a wetland. Recreational Parks that are used at night are often near water and streams. Mosquitoes receiving blood meals from park users will typically return to their hatching place to lay eggs. Long lengths of the Abatement Channels can be installed that are between the park and natural water that the mosquitoes will use conveniently. Every three days the channel will be flooded with replacement water and the bio-matter will be flushed away. The channel may be flushed at any interval but a three-day interval will act on a hatch at least twice before there is time for them to mature into adults.
These mosquito abatement techniques and methods are very inexpensive and can be implemented in the poorest of communities in the world, which is where the mosquitoes are causing the most misery.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a variety of additives mixed with the liquid in the reservoir may make it more attractive to the mosquito. It is assumed that some attractant could be added to the water that would make it the most attractive site for a female mosquito seeking a place to lay eggs. The best formula for this xe2x80x9cMosquito Teaxe2x80x9d will develop over time with data collection and experimentation. The mixture now used is Tannin, straw, and manure.
The objects and advantages of the insect bio-cycle interrupt and insect abatement techniques of the present invention are to provide:
An apparatus comprising a reservoir for holding a liquid medium suitable for reproductive use by mosquitoes or for harboring adult mosquitoes wherein said reservoir is located so as to harbor mosquitoes or to lure a female mosquito to deposit eggs in said liquid medium, said apparatus further comprising a periodically activated means to destroy the life of any stage of maturing egg deposits, larva, pupa and adults. Further, said apparatus comprising a reservoir of water and a filter located beneath said reservoir, wherein periodically said filter is raised through reservoir of water and filters any insect material out of said water, and further wherein said filter remains out of said water for a period of time that eliminates any further life of any insect material on the filter. Still further, said apparatus wherein said reservoir of liquid is suitable for sustaining the growth of mosquito reproductive matter and said means to destroy comprises a liquid or a biomass removal means for terminating said growth. Yet still further, an apparatus comprising a reservoir of liquid containing mosquito biomass wherein said liquid is passed through a filtering means to reduce said liquid quantity of said biomass.
A reservoir and means to destroy life wherein said reservoir holds a liquid suitable for reproductive use by mosquitoes and wherein said means to destroy comprises a flushing means for flushing said liquid out of said reservoir and replacing said liquid with a clean supply of said liquid. Further, a reservoir and means to destroy life wherein energy to power said flushing means is supplied by a battery or by a utility company.
A reservoir and means to destroy life additionally comprising a collection filter wherein said mosquito eggs, larva and pupa are preserved for scientific analysis.
A reservoir and means to destroy life comprising a lawn ornament containing a liquid.
A loop of metal formed as two parabolic shapes joined at end points to close said loop and internal surface of said loop is grooved in the form of a parabolic and further comprising a microphone supported by a bracket into the center of said loop.
An apparatus comprising a birdbath and a filter that effectively filters mosquito egg, larva, and pupa material from water in a birdbath reservoir. Further, the birdbath comprising a micro controller for controlling filtering operations and, still further, can comprise a pump.
A chemical mass deposited in rain gutters to discourage mosquitoes from using said rain gutters to deposit eggs.
An apparatus containing an odorous substance, which attracts insects or encourages insects to lay eggs on it, and said apparatus also comprises a means to terminate eggs larva or pupa from developing into adults or to kill adults. Further, said apparatus containing an odorous attractant to attract flies wherein said apparatus also comprises an electrified grid to electrocute said flies when they make contact with it. Still further, said apparatus wherein said termination means is a chemical. Yet still further, said apparatus wherein said termination means is electricity.
A mosquito research apparatus comprising an entry and exit detection means and a light emitter means, buzz detection means for monitoring mosquito wing sounds, a thermal emitter means to attract and alternately repel mosquitoes and a frequency emission means to simulate mosquito wing noise and other insect sounds. Further, said research apparatus wherein water contains a low level radioactive isotope that will mark insects that make use of the facility and thereafter be recognized by other research devices in a test zone that can detect presence of said isotope on said insects. Still further, said apparatus further comprising a micro-controller to collect data and control activity of emitters and detectors.
An electronic device that emits recorded frequencies collected from bats during times when said bats are feeding on flying insects to discourage flying insects from entering an area where the frequencies can be recognized by said insects. Further, said device wherein said signal emitted is a signal recorded from natural sounds made by mosquitoes enclosed in a test chamber containing mosquitoes and dragon flies together.
A method of using an apparatus comprising a reservoir for holding for holding a liquid medium suitable for reproductive use by mosquitoes or for harboring adult mosquitoes wherein said reservoir is located so as to harbor mosquitoes or to lure a female mosquito to deposit eggs in said liquid medium, said apparatus further comprising a periodically activated means to destroy the life of any stage of maturing egg deposits, larva, pupa and adults, the method comprising providing a reservoir for holding a liquid, at intervals removing mosquito eggs, larva, and pupa from the liquid medium in which they are growing, thereby terminating their development, and providing an available reservoir for further use by other female mosquitoes. Further, a method of mosquito population abatement using said apparatus wherein said step for removing comprises straining said liquid medium at intervals to remove mosquito reproductive bio-matter and terminate the biological growth of the eggs, larva and pupa. Still further, a method of using said apparatus comprising forming said reservoir in the ground so as to attract mosquitoes for egg laying, draining said reservoir into a flowing stream at intervals to disrupt the development of mosquito, biomass and refilling said reservoir after draining.
A reservoir and means to destroy life which comprises in a car tire, a valve and a water supply.
A reservoir for holding a liquid which is suitable for harboring mosquitoes, further comprising a signaling means to generate an alert to a caretaker at an interval to flush the reservoir contents that is possibly harboring mosquito reproductive mass.
A reservoir and means to destroy life or an insect abatement means which comprises a rain gutter that comprises a leakage means to drain residual water remaining in said gutter after a rain to eliminate a possible mosquito breeding habitat that is inherent in said residual water.
A process for the production and distribution of automobile tires comprising applying a chemical on the inside surface of said tires wherein said chemical will mix with any water that may enter said tire after tire is disposed and said mix is a spoiling means to deter a mosquitoes use of said mix as an egg laying site.
An apparatus that fits in a window frame venting inside warm air and CO2 outside comprising openings for insects to enter into apparatus after which an air-stream and insects caught in said air-stream are carried along through a structure comprising baffles and said insects collide with said baffles inflicting damage on said insects that come into contact with said baffles wherein said air-stream is generated by a fan on down-stream side of said baffle structure and said fan ejects damaged insects into outside air. Said apparatus wherein said baffles are coated with abrasive. Further, said apparatus wherein said baffles are coated with insecticide or oil. Still further, said apparatus having a baffle structure comprising a reservoir above said baffle structure and at least one hole in said reservoir drains liquid onto underlying baffles comprised in said structure.
A reservoir and means to destroy life wherein said reservoir comprises a channel having a simulated earth topography of natural earth features and a live plant to entice insects to use said channel for reproductive activities. Said apparatus wherein said channel holds a liquid comprising water. Further, said apparatus wherein said reservoir comprises soil. Still further, said wherein said channel comprises a means to destroy selected from the group consisting of an insect extermination means and a flooding mechanism to release liquid and flush away insect biological material occupying said channel.
A tool that can be used to puncture holes in rain gutters that are installed on buildings to produce a feature that functions to perforate the gutter floor in order to drain any standing water left in drains resulting from obstruction or angle of drainage problems.
A filter that collects biomass as liquid is flushed from the reservoir to save it for scientific evaluation purposes and to test for the presence of and identification of viruses carried by mosquito vectors.
An apparatus that will attract female mosquito egg layers that has a flush capability to purge and refill a reservoir wherein this apparatus is equipped with valves that are managed electronically.
A birdbath fitted with a system to purge mosquito biomass by filtering or flushing.